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Presidenst Choice Christmas 2006 HO train now out BUT I Can't Get One :(

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Posted by tatans on Monday, October 19, 2009 7:54 PM

SteamFreak

Today the Canadaland dollar is worth 97cents to the U.S.peso.

SteamFreak
  Railphotog wrote:

 IHC retails the engine alone for around US $129.95 on sale.  So getting the whole set for $99.95CAN is a decent price as the engine alone is worth much more than that.

 

 

Currently that converts to about $88 USD.

Nelson

  Railphotog wrote:

 IHC retails the engine alone for around US $129.95 on sale.  So getting the whole set for $99.95CAN is a decent price as the engine alone is worth much more than that.

 

 

Currently that converts to about $88 USD.

Nelson

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Posted by Mill Bay on Monday, October 19, 2009 6:39 PM

 

Did anyone notice with this loco that there was really a little too much play in the pony trucks? Especially the lead truck, with has a tendency to flop around loosely not only from side-to-side, but also up and down. It just seemed to me, while doing a brief test run, that the lead truck had a tendency to lift one wheel off the rail, almost as though the engine itself is not properly balanced. It could have something to do with the fact that I just snapped together some of the track out of the IHC box, so it may have been pretty unlevel. I'm just hoping it isn't the loco itself, though.
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Posted by Kurt on Friday, July 6, 2007 5:28 PM
While we are awaiting the IHC instructions perhaps we could go back to the Presidents Choice 2-10-2.  I don't know if anyone else has noted the pulling ability or rather the lack of it by the PC engine.  The current draw is only about 0.2 amps so there seems to be lots of reserve for adding weight.  Does anyone have ideas as to how to add weight to imprve the tractive effort?
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Posted by SteamFreak on Saturday, February 3, 2007 12:38 AM

Yes, very interesting. Then they did make some compromises to make the lower price point. Hopefully they aren't drastic enough to affect the performance, but it would be interesting to do a side-by-side comparison of the two versions. That would be one way to get that instruction sheet. Wink [;)]

Or maybe there's someone out there who would scan theirs for you.

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Posted by msowsun on Friday, February 2, 2007 9:40 PM

That is very interesting. The PC 2-10-2 only has the 1st and 4th drivers sprung. All the others are solid and yes, the center driver does not contact the rails.

The IHC engine also has...

A six-page, well-illustrated instruction sheet has three exploded iso-metric drawings and parts lists that show everything used in all the versions of the locomotive.

I would love to see a copy of that instruction sheet.

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Posted by SteamFreak on Friday, February 2, 2007 3:45 PM

Mike,

I thought you'd be interested in the MRR review of the generic IHC 2-10-2. I think you said that the center drivers were higher than the others, unsprung, and not equipped with bronze bearings. They say "The first, third, and fourth drivers have soft springs, while the second and last sets are stiffer to help stabilize the moving engine."

The 3rd, or center pair are sprung on their sample, so maybe there are differences in the President's Choice version.

 

 

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Posted by msowsun on Thursday, January 25, 2007 3:34 PM

I made a post with a link to some videos showing how my new President's Choice/IHC 4-6-4 makes a strange creaking/groaning noise at slow speed.

 http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/1017742/ShowPost.aspx

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Posted by msowsun on Thursday, January 25, 2007 2:36 PM

I have one 4-6-4 Hudson, one 2-10-2 Big Ten and one 4-8-2 Mountain. They all share the same drive and boiler. Just the wheel arrangement is different.

My 2-10-2 used to make a sort of squeaking or creaking sound when it came to a stop very slowly. Especially when pulling a load. It went away after awhile. I tried lube everything I could think of, but nothing seemed to help. 

Now my 4-6-4 is doing the same thing..................  Sigh [sigh]

 

GUB
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Posted by GUB on Thursday, January 25, 2007 7:44 AM

Mike;

Thanks. It'll have to wait till the weekend. I've got a couple of busy days here at work and tonight is curling. So... I really do appreciate your help. BTW how many of these locomotives do you have? That is the Hudson and the Big 10.

I noticed a slight skeaking sound eminating from my Big 10. Can I assume that is normal during the first runnings?

 GUB

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Posted by msowsun on Wednesday, January 24, 2007 11:57 PM

What you see spinning below the boiler is the worm gear. For some reason the gears are not meshing properly.

Try tightening the brass coloured screw on the bottom that holds the worm gear housing in place. It may have come loose. The front of the housing has a tab that fits into the frame, and the rear is held down by the screw that goes into the brass coloured nut at the back of the worm gear housing. 

If that doesn't fix it, then there might be a problem with the other gears. The worm gear meshes with an idler gear that in turn meshes with the gear on the axle. One of these might be broken, cracked, or missing.  

 

Good Luck,

Mike Sowsun

Oakville, Ontario

                                                              (click to enlarge photo)

GUB
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Posted by GUB on Wednesday, January 24, 2007 7:20 PM

Msowsun;

By the way thanks for the photographs and the instructions. I am sure they will be a big help.

GUB

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Posted by GUB on Wednesday, January 24, 2007 7:16 PM
 msowsun wrote:

GUB, Before you take it apart, try and isolate what the problem is...

If you put it on the track with another engine, will the other engine run? "Yes the other locomotive seems to run fine".

Does the headlight or smoke unit work? "Headlight goes on, but I have not tried the smoke unit and am reluctant to try at this point."

Does it make any difference if the tender is plugged or unplugged into the loco? "It doesn't appear to make any difference if the tender is plugged in or not. The back up or rear light does go on as soon as the power is turned on. I did notice that the headlight does not actually get bright until about 50% power.

One other thing I noticed this time was a clicking sound when the power was turned on. It sounds like as if a gear was missing or something isn't connected or something wasn't quite in sinc. But still no go. I can see something going around just below the boiler. Any help will be appreciated.

GUB

 

 

 

"I had purchased last years model 4-6-4 Hudson. Finally took it out of the box 6 months after buying it and ran it for about an hour and then it quit. Anybody had a similar experience?"

GUB

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Posted by msowsun on Wednesday, January 24, 2007 1:08 PM

GUB, Before you take it apart, try and isolate what the problem is...

If you put it on the track with another engine, will the other engine run?

Does the headlight or smoke unit work?

Does it make any difference if the tender is plugged or unplugged into the loco?

 

 

 

"I had purchased last years model 4-6-4 Hudson. Finally took it out of the box 6 months after buying it and ran it for about an hour and then it quit. Anybody had a similar experience?"

GUB

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Posted by Kurt on Wednesday, January 24, 2007 10:21 AM

Steve B, $13.95 was a good price - where was that?

 

Kurt

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Posted by Steve_B on Wednesday, January 24, 2007 9:51 AM
They still have a couple of this yeas sets around here, I'll wait a bit considering that I got last years set for 13.95$ this summer.
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Posted by msowsun on Wednesday, January 24, 2007 9:26 AM

Here is an "exploded" photo of the IHC/Mehano (President's Choice) 2-10-2. It shares the same construction.

The begin the disassembly, remove the cab by taking off the rear handrails and then use a small screwdriver to push in the two little tabs that hold the cab onto bottom section.

Then unscrew the boiler, there is one screw under the front truck and two screws under the cab area of the frame. It is a snug fit and you will have to wiggle it a bit as you pull the boiler away from the frame. The headlight and smoke generator wires are connected to the front of the frame and run through the boiler weight. The wires will have to be cut or de-soldered or you might want to just leave them connected while you work on the rest of it.

There is a screw on the top of the boiler that holds in the weight. The weight should slide out to the rear. Once the weight have been removed, unscrew the screw in the cab area that holds the top and lower sections together. Then the top can be removed from the bottom by squeezing near the two tabs that hold the two pieces of the boiler together.

It sounds complicated, but lit is fairly obvious once you get started.

GUB
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Posted by GUB on Wednesday, January 24, 2007 7:55 AM

 Kurt wrote:
GUB, none of my 464's has died yet but I have had to tinker quite a bit with them to prevent derailments.  I wonder if your engine has a loose wire leading to the motor?

Thanks. I have sent IHC an email a few days ago to see if i could get a schematic of the engine or instructions on how to take it a part as I am somewhat nervous of taking it apart and braeking something and then not getting it back together. So far I have not had a reply.Funny you should mention derailments as this is when the engine stopped working. There was a derailment as mentioned a slight grinding sound, a little more movement and then nothing. No there is only a whining sound when the power is on.

Thanks again for your suggestion.

GUB

 

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Posted by Kurt on Wednesday, January 24, 2007 5:58 AM
GUB, none of my 464's has died yet but I have had to tinker quite a bit with them to prevent derailments.  I wonder if your engine has a loose wire leading to the motor?
GUB
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Posted by GUB on Tuesday, January 23, 2007 6:58 PM

I had purchased last years model 4-6-4 Hudson. Finally took it out of the box 6 months after buying it and ran it for about an hour and then it quit. Anybody had a similar experience?

GUB

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Posted by prospekt mira on Friday, December 29, 2006 9:08 PM
 All this years models had disappeared from the 2 Newmarket/Aurora stores by the 1st week of December, but starting about the 20th last years model reappeared. There are still about 20 sets of last years models available in Aurora at 49.95 as of the 29th.
GUB
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Posted by GUB on Friday, December 29, 2006 11:13 AM

Got mine for Christmas. For those who are interested there are no more of last year's models left here in Ingersoll as of yesterday when I checked.

GUB

GUB
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Posted by GUB on Thursday, December 14, 2006 5:47 PM

Our Independant sold out of this years model very, very quickly. I went in sometime in November (early I think) to have a look at them. There was 8 to 10 on the shelf. I went in a week later and there was zero left.  During the summer i had picked up last year's Hudson for $49.95 and as of tonight there are 8 on the shelves at the same price. I thought I would mention that in case anyone was interested.

 GUB

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Posted by Pathfinder on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 11:37 PM
 ghonz711 wrote:
 Pathfinder wrote:
 wgnrr wrote:

It's hard for me to believe that (as someone mentioned earlier) 25,000 train sets are sold out.

Must be good sellers!

Phil

Someone else posted that 25,000 units were done for this year (half of last years not so successful set).  I posted that I was told by the local store that they were sold out nation wide and made the jump to say that means 25,000 sets were sold.

Yes, a good seller this year and that bodes well for next Tongue [:P]

Hate to burst your bubble, but either they made more than 25 000 sets or they aren't sold out yet because my local Loblaws still has at least 10 in stock.  And here in Richmond Hill, as far as I know, there aren't that many modelers... at least my age Tongue [:P]  Hopefully they will outlast the Christmas rush so that I can get mine for a discount!

Ghonz

 

What was meant was there were none left in any warehouses, all stock was in stores.  So any store looking to get some/ or more was out of luck, like my store that brought in none.

Keep on Trucking, By Train! Where I Live: BC Hobbies: Model Railroading (HO): CP in the 70's in BC and logging in BC
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Posted by empty net on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 9:51 PM

One of the local Zehrs in St. Catharines brought about 40 sets into the store when introduced in November.   I have been monitoring their pile since I am in the store almost every day or so.  Last week they started to sell very briskly - today they have only 15 left.  With only 12 days to go until Christmas I bet they will soon all be gone.  I was hoping to pick up a "discounted" second set after Christmas but my chances are growing dimer with each passing day.

 Badger 

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Posted by ghonz711 on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 8:15 PM
 Pathfinder wrote:
 wgnrr wrote:

It's hard for me to believe that (as someone mentioned earlier) 25,000 train sets are sold out.

Must be good sellers!

Phil

Someone else posted that 25,000 units were done for this year (half of last years not so successful set).  I posted that I was told by the local store that they were sold out nation wide and made the jump to say that means 25,000 sets were sold.

Yes, a good seller this year and that bodes well for next Tongue [:P]

Hate to burst your bubble, but either they made more than 25 000 sets or they aren't sold out yet because my local Loblaws still has at least 10 in stock.  And here in Richmond Hill, as far as I know, there aren't that many modelers... at least my age Tongue [:P]  Hopefully they will outlast the Christmas rush so that I can get mine for a discount!

Ghonz

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Posted by Pathfinder on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 9:13 AM
 wgnrr wrote:

It's hard for me to believe that (as someone mentioned earlier) 25,000 train sets are sold out.

Must be good sellers!

Phil

Someone else posted that 25,000 units were done for this year (half of last years not so successful set).  I posted that I was told by the local store that they were sold out nation wide and made the jump to say that means 25,000 sets were sold.

Yes, a good seller this year and that bodes well for next Tongue [:P]
Keep on Trucking, By Train! Where I Live: BC Hobbies: Model Railroading (HO): CP in the 70's in BC and logging in BC
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Posted by wgnrr on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 9:35 PM

It's hard for me to believe that (as someone mentioned earlier) 25,000 train sets are sold out.

Must be good sellers!

Phil

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Posted by Pathfinder on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 8:58 PM

 selector wrote:
Well, fellas, if the Powers That Be decide they liked the response this year, we can hope to get a repeat nice package next year, maybe even for the same price.

That is what I am hoping for, PC must be happy they sold out 2 weeks before Christmas.
 

A CP unit would be nice for next year  Evil [}:)]

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Posted by RR Redneck on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 8:42 PM
If it is CN, nevermind.

Lionel collector, stuck in an N scaler's modelling space.

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